Various walking aids are known in which tubular elements are assembled in frame structures which can either be grasped by the hands of the user or which can support the user in the armpit, similar to crutches. Some of those frame structures may have wheels, either two at the rear of the user, or two forwardly thereof, or surrounding the user. Most such support structures are made of aluminum, or other light-weight material, to insure portability and ease of handling by an impaired or elderly person. While light-weight materials of sufficient strength are readily available, a compromise between stability of the structure in the face of external forces acting thereon, for example when used on public streets or in crowds, with ease of use and portability must be made, and the choice, usually, dictates a structure which is as light as possible to place low strain on the user when employing the walking aid.
Some walking aids have a lower frame, for example roughly three sides of a square or rectangle, with wheels at the respective four corners; another construction utilizes a U-shaped frame, for example bent in part-circular form, with a group of wheels around the circumference, so that a person supporting her/himself on elevated portions of the frame can move about while pushing the wheeled frame along. Wheeled walkers generally are intended for institutional use, for example for learning to walk after a trauma; non-wheeled walkers can be used both indoors and out, but have the disadvantage that they have to be tipped forward and lifted in cadence with each step of the user.